Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today has special meaning for so many reasons: my mother AND my mother-in-law share today as their birthday!
We also told our parents two years ago (on Valentine's Day) that we were pregnant with T.
Last, but certainly not least, I get to celebrate loving my husband, sweet boy, family, dogs, and friends on this special day.

We become so caught up and distracted by day-to-day life, and it's nice to spend this day focusing on love and mushy stuff. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could all focus on showing others that we care throughout the other 364 days of the year??

I read something on the internet last night entitled "The Top Ten Worst Valentine Gifts". Number one? Bouquet of red roses. However, they were quick to tell readers that an assorted bouquet is more appropriate. And if your honey picks out the flowers himself?? Plus one point.

                                                            Score one for Christopher :)

Sweet, right? Well, scroll on down and check out the heartfelt card that he also gave me.

Um, yeah. For those of you who don't know him well, this is pretty typical. Heartfelt and sweet, and a little bit red. The way I like it :)

I saw something that described Jesus' sacrifice for us as the ultimate valentine. Amen, I thought. I love the idea of doing something for someone else or serving others on this special day and every other day. I have to brag about one of my dearest friends....

Instead of spending a night at home, she and her small group from church baked cupcakes and took them backstage to a strip club. Yep, you read that right. They took valentines and treats to the ladies who worked at the club. She emailed me and asked me to pray for the night; she was nervous about standing awkwardly nearby while "naked women were flying around" (those were her words... love her). The point of their outing was to show these women that they are loved, no matter what their past/present/future may look like. To show them that Jesus will take anyone and make them shine. What a blessing- my sweet friend stepped out of her comfort zone (waaaaaay out) to feed, encourage, and smile at these women who quite possibly feel used, objectified, and looked down upon.

Makes me think of the Samaritan woman in John 4....she meets Jesus at a well and does not realize who He is. He asks her for water and she cannot believe that He is speaking to her. She later confesses to him in conversation that she does not have a husband. I love His response:
That's nicely put: 'I have no husband.' You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.

Ha! He is all-knowing AND has a great sense of humor. What happens next is amazing: He confesses to her that He is the Messiah. He uses this woman, despite others perceiving her as unworthy. He doesn't care about her past. A KING shares something huge with her and allows her to share with her friends and neighbors. What an honor.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Adventures in Kindergarten

What an experience I'm having in kindergarten this year! I love it! And not just in an I-like-my-job kind of way...I feel like I'm really making a difference in the lives of these little souls. I told someone the other day that I'd like to write a book about all the funny things they say, but I would literally be writing things down all day long. They are true entertainers and they don't even know it! Here are a few of my favorites:

In the beginning of the year, we talk alot about rules and how we treat our friends. We come up with classroom rules together. The last one on our list this year, number 6, is "No whining". This is hard for all of us at times, but particularly hard for five and six year olds. One day, as one little girl was whining about something, a little boy shouted out, "Number six! No whining!" I didn't have to say a word :)

Another thing we do at the start of the school year is draw our families and talk about them. One particular boy was coloring and as I sat at his table, he said "my momma don't love me". I laughed and told him that of course his mom loves him. He shook his head and continued without even looking up, "Uh-Uh. She whips me". Knowing this particular mother, I explained that she wanted to teach him right and wrong and that shows that she loves him. Still coloring, he responded: "Well...you should see the belt. Umph!" and issued a loud grunt :)

During learning center time, one of my sweet girls came to me for help. Her center involved looking at a picture of something that is spelled with 3 letters. Her job is to spell the word. She held up a picture of a bathtub and asked me, "Is this how you spell 'bath?" On her paper: B A F.


Lately, we've been learning about different sounds like SH, CH, WH and PH. When I asked the kids to name some words that start with 'WH', one little friend eagerly raised his hand. "Whooping! My momma says that I need one of those." Let me tell you- his momma is right. This same little friend then thought it would be fun to act out a whooping by slapping ME on the backside. I'm not sure who it was more disturbing for- me or him.


We do calendar books each morning. On one page of the book, we make a tally mark. At the bottom of the page, there are several hands to count the days also. After we make a tally mark, we color in a finger. (I'm sure some of you can guess where this one's going.) Today when we colored in the middle finger, I heard one or two snickers. (Sad but true- some of them already associate that finger with something bad.) One of my little boys called out, "That's not your LOVE GOD finger".


Yesterday, as we walked down the hallway to leave, one of my little ones told me that he liked my hair. I thanked him and another little boy (the same one who knows all about his different fingers) told me "Mrs. Cranford, I love your body". Dang- I could get used to this. My husband could learn a thing or two from these boys :)

One of my very favorite things about kindergarten is their level of excitement. Having taught second grade for many years, it's a very different experience. Second graders  have been there, done that. To kindergarten students, everything is new. For many of them, it's the first time they have walked in line, seen a smartboard, or listened to a firefighter talk about his job. We ran out of tissues one day and I said to a small group, "Let's get a new box of tissues out!" as I grabbed a colorful box. I kid you not: each child grinned and shouted "yeah!" I think I even got a fist-pump out of one little boy :)

At the end of each day, we line up before we are dismissed over the intercom. I am usually wiped out, so I'll sit on the table and chat with them while they are in line. Almost every day, one or two will come over and hug me. When their friends catch on, they join in too. After a few seconds, I am literally smushed by about 10 kids. What a blessing!

I am loving this year...watching them grow is amazing.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2 Cor. 5:17

Anyone in Christ is a new creation
The old has gone, the new has come.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

PRAISE THE LORD for this promise. I learned this verse in high school, and I didn't realize it would carry me into adulthood. His promises have a way of sticking with us, I guess :)

I distinctly remember the immense guilt that set in when I learned what Jesus did. My mind was reeling with all that I had committed in fifteen years, all that had hurt my parents. I called them from camp and cried more than once, asking them to forgive me for all that I had done to bruise their hearts.

This is not God's purpose in exposing us to Jesus; He doesn't want to make us feel horribly guilty and beat ourselves up. Although this was my initial reaction, I later realized that He was simply trying to show me how deep His love is. He is willing to sacrifice His most precious possession for mankind...even for a lousy sinner like myself.

I love to tell people about my past. I get different reactions....some people laugh, some folks share stories with me from their own crazy days, and some don't believe me.Y'all- I was messed up. Not serving anyone but myself and ignoring the big picture. I don't wanna get into specifics because we all have our dark moments from the past. But I also don't want to share all that I've done because, frankly, some of it is embarrassing. Don't misunderstand: I am thankful for everything (well, mostly everything) that I have encountered or experienced. It helps me relate to other people. It helps me stop and think twice before judging someone. Thinking about my past helps me realize how far I've come and how God has blessed me with His ENDLESS forgiveness and mercy. He doesn't keep a list of my wrongdoings; He doesn't make a tally mark every time I hurt someone or do something that He doesn't like.

The most amazing part?? It's not just high school and college that I am forgiven for. I am forgiven and cleansed EVERY DAY. If I ask Him to forgive me, He does so with a happy heart. He rejoices in the fact that I am bringing it to Him; I am bowing at His feet and acknowledging that I cannot live this life without Him. I fail miserably on my own. I need His Spirit. The scary part?? He asks us to extend the same grace and forgiveness to other people.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Encouraged

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (Psalm 112:7)

For those of you who don't know me well, I am an anxious person. Okay, to be honest, I am ridiculously worried about ridiculous things. I let "what ifs" take over and I seem to think glass-half-empty thoughts quite often. It's hard to get ready in the morning and read this verse from Psalms on my bathroom mirror. Sometimes I feel confident that I will breeze through the day. Other days, I feel like I could puke from the sense of dread that sits in my tummy.

Today I had coffee with a friend of mine who I have not seen in a couple of years. God's wisdom is amazing. The way He knows what each of us is going through is awesome enough. The fact that He connects us with others who can relate? Or the way He puts folks in our lives at exactly the right time? It reminds me that He has me in the palm of His hand. Today I was able to listen to someone tell me about their life, and all the intensely wonderful things that God is doing. It was so inspiring. As I listened to her tell me all about their family's adventure, I realized that I am not the only person who dreams big and feels like crazy things are possible. More than that, crazy things are what God desires for us....Take risks, He tell us. Get UNcomfortable. Let go and I will steer.

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  (Jer. 29:11, The Message)

He will show up and take care of us. And then to top it off, He will bring us back HOME to His house one day. He has it all under control; it's all good. He will give us the future that we hope for- maybe not in the form of what we expected, but He will meet the desires of our heart one way or another.

Someone once called me "flighty" and it wore on my nerves. I immediately started to question myself. WAS I indeed someone who could not remain on one path? Or someone who could not make a decision and stick to it? I prefer to think that I am a follower. A follower of my Father God, that is. I go where He leads. I don't always go without questioning (or without whining, for that matter) but I try to listen to Him and follow. This may cause me to up and move in the middle of something, or it may cause me to change my mind. If this makes me flighty, then so be it. Spending time with this friend today made me realize that I'm not the only person who knows that with God, the impossible can indeed become a reality.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Simple Life

Everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten...

I remember this poster from when I was itty-bitty. I was barely old enough to read when I first saw it, and I figured it was just a joke between adults. It is not until NOW- at 30 years old and teaching small souls- that I realize the truth behind such a statement.

Here are my classroom rules- we created them together, my students and I:

1. Be nice to each other.
           This seems so obvious, but adults have a hard time doing it, myself included.

2. Don't talk when someone else is talking.
            Wouldn't it be so wonderful to finish a statement without being cut off? Or, even better, wouldn't it be awesome to listen to someone else and really HEAR what they were saying?

3. Keep your hands to yourself.
         Less crime, less hurt, less heartbreak. Enough said.

4. Don't say bad words.
         Although kindergarten bad words differ from our own version, adults could definitely benefit from this one. You don't always know what offends me, and I don't always know what offends you. Goes back to that old adage...If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

5. Clean up after you're done.
         Can you imagine?? Less trash littering our earth, clean homes and yards. Most important- no more shopping carts littering the parking lot because slackers are too lazy to walk fifty feet and put them back where they belong. Seriously, this is one of my pet peeves. This kind of careless, "someone else will do it" attitude is pitiful to me.

6. NO whining!
          Suck it up. I've heard that so many times in my life; sometimes I can actually keep moving and other times, I have to whine about my circumstances. Granted, SOME circumstances are worth whining about. Then, at other times, I think about someone that has it worse off than me and I realize that I need to shut my mouth. Last year, in second grade, my kids would whine and I would play the violin for them and sarcastically encourage their lament. They would stop focusing on what they were upset about and giggle (usually, at least). Not sure if kindergarten students would respond well to this tactic or even understand it. But I think it delivers a message: try to find the humor in your situation or focus on something else and just keep moving. 

My students do a pretty decent job of following our rules. Five year olds could sure teach the rest of the world a thing or two.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Firetrucks and Cheerios and Drool- Oh My!

Welcome to our home. I will be your tour guide, commonly known as "Ma Ma" or "Baby", depending on who is speaking. When you enter our home, you will notice some of the regional wildlife and literature.

Beloved "Doggy" (of which we have four...you know, just in case) and one of many books. This book, in particular, is Trafton's current favorite. Trucks was a gift from Uncle Dave. According to T, Daddy drives every truck that's inside.

As we continue on our tour, you may spot some food that is native to the area...

We leave a trail behind us, just in case we get lost. Please note the drool spot- not sure if this is from my son or my dogs. Either way, it's a nice reminder that I am surrounded by sweet boys.

Next stop, the Cranford transportation museum, where you may find cars, tractors, backhoes, and most importantly- FIRETRUCKS!


Finally, as we approach a heavily-populated zone, we spot the infamous inhabitant of the area...the mess-making monkey!

We all live off His generous bounty,
Gift after gift after gift.
(John 1:16, The Message)

Don't need lots of money or a fancy car. I'll take drool-covered floors, cheerio trails, and my little monkey :)

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Right place, Right time

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecc. 3:11)

God's timing is perfect. This is difficult for me to fathom, and even harder to remember during times of turmoil. But I know in my stubborn heart that it is true.

I know that I was leaving the YMCA at the perfect moment several years ago. I left just as the station 20 crew was finishing up their own workout, and I just happened to meet the man who I would later marry.

I am CERTAIN that I was supposed to be in Saranac, NY at the age of 15, listening to a speaker at Young Life Camp. I was supposed to sit on a rock in the rain and accept that Jesus took my place on the cross. God had let me wander for 15 years, and introduced me to salvation on that particular summer evening.
 
I heard God say to me, "You are supposed to be a mother" a couple of years ago. It was during the summer, and a few months later, Chris told me that we should try to have a baby. (Hallelujah, Jesus! A few months to this impatient girl is a long time!) The Lord's timing was, once again, right on track.

I know that my brother was steered through the doors at a Mt Pleasant church this evening, only to discover that the man preaching is someone that I knew from my college days. God's family is so big, and yet so closely-knit. Dave called me and was thrilled about the worship that he had experienced.

I know that the days my father-in-law spent in the hospital were in accordance with God's perfect timing. As difficult as it was, it allowed for me to grow closer to his wife (my mom-in-law) during our time at the hospital. It allowed me to see how deeply rooted her faith is, and how similar we are. (Again...hallelujah, Jesus! Hope I can grow to be more like her.)

I know that I am supposed to be sitting on my couch right now, in jammies at 9:00 pm on New Year's Eve. My husband is reading in the bed. We are old, and I LOVE our life together. A few years back, I would have probably cried if you'd have told me I would be sitting here on my couch, ready for bed, no friends, no party.Today, I am thanking my lucky stars that I have a house and a husband. God let me have my crazy days; He knows that I am right where I need to be now.

I know that my husband was used by God yesterday while he was at work. Some of our dear, sweet friends were in an automobile accident in Charlotte. It was not Chris' area and he would not normally have responded. However, the appropriate station was busy on another call so station 20 responded. As he pulled up to the scene, he recognized the family's van. He saw their fear-stricken faces and went into work-mode. He was able to comfort them the best he knew how; he stayed calm and reminded them that they were okay and that they were protected. Indeed they were....no major physical injuries, just emotional trauma.

Does God manipulate our lives according to His timing and what He wants? Absolutely, and I am thankful that He does so.